Sunday 27 May 2012

Danny Devos:160 Performances




I am a notoriously slow reader. I am still reading the Tuxedomoon "Music For Vagabonds" book by Isabelle Corbisier, and I started that back in early March. It's a great book that not only has a main narrative but has side-stories, third party recollections and interviews running at the same time...it's like two books in one. Anyway, I broke off from the Tuxedomoon chronicles to read "160 Performances" by Danny Devos.
The book covers the performances of DDV from 1979-2011. Presented in a thick, hardback and hefty tome. 320 pages covering the great artists work. The introduction is in Belgian (naturally), and then carries two pages per performance. Quality documentation in text and photographs on quality paper. The book ends on an interview with Danny (thankfully in English) on "performance" art.
Danny Devos' work is body orientated - putting the mind and body to extreme limits - a lot of his work includes self harming...not all ~ but alot. To find where the mind and body goes by putting it to painful extremes, also reflecting on the audiences reaction is fascinating stuff.
The book also includes documentation of prank art and street art.

Essentially a coffee table book and like the Forcemental compendium that Club Moral put out last year, a book that can be devoured and then dipped into for pleasure.
I picked this book up at the Broken Flag:Never Say When weekend earlier in the month. A bargain at £49. Copies are available from Club Moral. Try www.performan.org the edition I have is limited to 979 copies.

Pictures:
1: Danny Devos "160 Performances" dust jacket.
2: Danny Devos "160 Performances" book cover.
3: Danny Devos live at the Dome, London. May 2012.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for your comments relating to my Tuxedomoon book. If you are interested I do have a closed group on Facebook that you might be interested in:
    http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/groups/musicforvagabonds/
    Cheers,
    Isabelle

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Isabelle, it truly is a magnificent piece of work. I recommend the book to all.
      Thank you for the invitation but I am not "on" Facebook. Just one of those "things" I haven't bothered woth ...
      Cari Saluti.
      Steve.

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